First 4K Roku TVs Hit Market With Insignia Launch By Best Buy

The first 4K Ultra HD TVs running the Roku TV smart-TV OS became available today under Best Buy’s Insignia brand, Roku announced.

But they won’t be the last. Early this year, Roku said that TCL would offer 4K Roku TVs in the spring.

Three Insignia-brand 4K Roku TV models are available exclusively at BestBuy.com and will be in Best Buy stores nationwide early next month. They come in 43-, 50- and 55-inch screen sizes at retails of $399, $499 and $649, respectively. They feature quad-core processor, 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi to stream 4K movies, and access to more than 3,000 streaming channels, including more than 10 4K Ultra HD channels. Those channels include Amazon Video, Netflix, Plex, YouTube and UltraFlix . More 4K services are planned.

To enhance 4K viewing, Roku added such features as the 4K Spotlight Channel to provide instant access to a curated selection of 4K content from a variety of streaming services in one place.

The TVs also feature a customizable home screen places streaming channels alongside such sources as game console, cable box or Blu-ray player. A universal search feature helps viewers find the availability and pricing of movies and TV shows across more than 25 streaming channels. Search results are ordered with the least expensive results listed first.

The Roku Feed notifies viewers when content of interest becomes available through streaming services and at what price.

Roku TV can be controlled by remote control or through the free Roku mobile app for iOS and Android. In addition, users can cast video from Netflix and YouTube, as well as share personal video, photos and music, directly from a mobile device to the Roku TV.

Roku began licensing its OS in 2014, and in 2015, almost 40 Roku TV models were available from five TV brands, including Haier, Hisense, Insignia, Sharp and TCL, in sizes ranging from 28 to 65 inches.